Gods and Exarchs, Heroes and Monsters

Player handouts. Yesterday I was working on the player handout for the DnD campaign I’m going to start running on Wednesday nights at the game store. I’m aiming for another game in Ancient Greece, but I think I’m going to be a little more flexible about “where” this time, since I don’t know most of the players much at all.

Maybe that’s one of the downsides of Encounters’ brevity? You have enough time for everyone to get ready, start playing, stop playing, and leave. You don’t get to know anyone well enough to set up a later game or anything unless you get the same group every week. (That may be the case with some, but ours has varied significantly.)

I suppose this is the first time I’ve really sat down to codify what parts of Fourth Edition are common in the setting, which classes work, what equipment is out of place, how the power sources are used by heroes, and which gods are the equivalent of various members of the pantheon. I figured a few were regents, or “exarchs,” of the others.

Apollo, for instance, is the Exarch of the Sun for Demeter in my setting, rather than being the straight-up god of the Sun. I think I prefer it that way, much as Athena can be Hestia’s Exarch of Civilization, Hephaestus can be her Exarch of Creation, and Nemesis her Exarch of Justice. The three deities are related, and clearly delineated.

For simplicity, I’m eliminating the majority of magic items from the game and using the “Inherent Bonuses” from the Dungeon Master’s Guide 2. That way, players can get the numbers they need to remain competitive without worrying about item crafting or adventure-optimizing. It can be a little more casual than that.

I’m sticking with the core “post-Trojan War” setting, but I’m incorporating more of my gods and monsters research and speculation about society and whatnot. I’m integrating the social factions to a larger degree, and for the first time, made mention of the “god-kings” who ruled the nations before the wars, and who took their place.